Imagery

It is important to use high quality photography for all university websites. Full
color images are preferred, although black and white may be allowed for historic images.

Choose your images carefully and remember that more is not better. Avoid using huge
images that take up prime real estate on your website without adding value. Do not
use photos to fill up space. When in doubt, remember that if there’s no content to
go with that photo, it’s probably not adding value to your page and could be a distraction
or cause too much scrolling for the user to access the real content.

Avoid using a photo rotator on your website unless you have a piece of content for
every photo (minimum of four, maximum of six). If there’s no content to go to when
the image is clicked, there’s no value added. Since you know your audience, you know
they’re most likely not visiting your site to browse photos, so use them for accent—sparingly
and in manageable sizes.

Another rule of thumb for photo rotators or slideshows: If you do not plan to regularly
update the photos and their associated content—don’t use a rotator. Users will learn to tune this area out as they feel they’ve “already seen it” and
stop looking there for new content, rendering it useless anyway.

Remember that content is king! Photos are for adding visual interest, but can become
stale and boring quickly when users see the same photos over and over again. Worse,
they can become a distraction and a barrier to your content if a user is frustrated
at having to wait too long for the browser to load too many images or images that
are too large. This can lead to user frustration and page abandonment.

Maximum file size is 1 MB, optimized for the Web.

Guidance – Selecting Images for Websites

The following guidance offers examples of ways to effectively use images on a website.
While these examples are not exhaustive, they are intended to suggest qualities that
make images compelling, appropriate, and useful.

Social/Informal Group

There are plenty of use cases in which a photo of a social or informal group makes
sense. Images selected in these cases should be easy to interpret and should give
viewers a sense of being included or present in the photo.

Bad

The photo above is an example of a less effective social/informal group image. The distance and angle
of the photo doesn’t allow us to see most of the subjects’ faces clearly, which makes
the photo feel generic and less engaging. It’s not clear what moment the photo is
capturing, and viewers will have a harder time connecting the photograph with the
remaining content on the page.

Good

The photo above is a good example of an effective social/informal group image. The photo makes effective
use of distance. The shot is just close enough that we can see the subjects’ expressions,
which gives the image a clear mood. The image also captures a genuine moment between
students – a quality that makes the image compelling on sites addressing prospective
students (and their parents), potential faculty members, and potential donors.

Speaker

There are often times in which it makes sense to include an image of a presenter or
speaker, especially when reporting about special events, classes, or other gatherings
on campus.

Bad

The photo above is poorly lit and does not offer a clear view of the speaker. It also fails to capture
the spirit of the moment – it’s not immediately clear to the viewer the mood of the
scene. The distant framing also allows for a distracting background.

Good

The photo above is a good example of an effective presenter/speaker shot. The photo
composition offers users a clear, well-lit view of the speaker, and it captures an
uplifting, compelling moment for the speaker and everyone in the photo. Additionally,
the close perspective minimizes visual noise in the image.

Student/Faculty Event

Many webpages need to feature images of on-campus, student events. Such images should
be framed whenever possible to capture a genuine moment shared between students, students
and faculty, etc.

Bad

The photo above doesn’t offer a clear focal point. It provides no clear information about what’s
happening in the scene, and it also makes it unclear who is intended to be the primary
subject.

Good

The photo above makes good use of angles to impart a sense of motion or action even though the subjects
are still. In showing part of the poster, the image also conveys more information
about the overall context. Users can easily tell what’s happening in the scene.

Other Examples

Portrait/Headshot - Exemplar

Bad

This photo is a bad example in that it is not well-lit from the front, the crop angle
is odd, the subject is not looking into the camera and street debris can be seen behind
him. This image would be out of place amongst others shot and cropped properly.

Good

This photo is well-lit, and makes good use of distance to include not only the subject’s
upper body but enough of her surroundings to give clues about her field of study before
the viewer reads a caption. While the foreground is informative (equipment), the background
is neutral enough to not distract. The slight angle of her head and upper body also
creates a more interesting line than a typical portrait.

Environmental Shots - Exemplar

Bad

This photo attempts to highlight the tech but unfortunately it is from a straightforward
angle so the item looks like a large, eye-catching square. The expression from the
main subjects face is unwelcoming and there is really nothing interesting drawing
your eyes in. The foreground is flat and the background is unwelcoming and the secondary
subjects faces are hidden making you wonder what is going on.

Good

This photo not only highlights the foreground well but also highlights the middle
ground and background in a triangle without making the image too busy. All of the
subjects have positive expressions and the main subject is placed well leading your
focus. The tech is incorporated well into the image but not overshadowing. The subjects
and tech are casual with a natural feel.

Large Campus Events - Negatives

There are often reasons to include photos of large on-campus events on departmental
websites. When selecting photos of large events, keep in mind that clear, easy to
interpret details are often more compelling than distant group shots. These are both
examples of less effective event photos.

Bad

The photo above fails to offer any clear detail, and the flash creates an awkwardly-placed hot spot
which highlights the table cloth more than it does the people.

Bad

The photo above is well-lit, but taken from too far away and from a poor angle – all we see are the
backs of several heads. There is no clear focal point, and the distant shot invites
a lot of distraction.

Suggestions for selecting effective photos:

For photos of people, look for clear views of faces that convey emotions. Unless the
goal is solely to give an idea of attendance, a closer photo of one or a few faces
is more evocative than a photo of several people from further away.

Select photos that have a clear primary subject. This doesn’t have to be in the center
of the image. As the examples show, lighting, color and depth of field can guide the
eye. Look for photos that have an unmistakable focal point.

If taking a photo with a phone camera, you may have better results taking the photo
without zoom and cropping.

If you’re charged with photographing an event (and you can’t arrange for a photographer
from UREL to attend your event) take as many photos as you can, especially of candid
moments or interactions. The best shot may not be one you can plan for.

When cropping any photo for general use, consider leaving some neutral space for text
overlays.

Always work to select the photo that makes the most sense with the remaining content
on your page.